Akazawa jets to Washington for tariff talks after historic election
While the political landscape was upended by Sunday's vote, Ryosei Akazawa stuck to the script and offered no indication that anything has changed in terms of Japan's stance, or that the United States is willing to back down in its demands.
'While protecting our national interests, I want to quickly find common ground where both Japan and the United States can agree,' he told reporters at Haneda Airport on Monday morning before his departure.
The U.S. is set to impose a 25% "reciprocal" tariff on most goods from Japan on Aug. 1 — up from the current 10% — unless a deal is struck.
On multiple occasions in recent weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump has openly complained about the lack of progress in negotiations with Japan. No tangible results have been achieved after months of talks.
Trump has said he might just end negotiations and let the 25% rate go into effect, as outlined in a letter sent to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on July 7.
Separate sector-specific Trump tariffs are already in effect, including 25% on vehicles and auto parts and 50% on steel and aluminum. The U.S. president has said he will start imposing tariffs on pharmaceutical products as early as the end of July.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was appointed by Trump to lead negotiations with Japan in early April, visited Tokyo and Osaka before Sunday's vote.
'A good deal is more important than a rushed deal, and a mutually beneficial trade agreement between the United States and Japan remains within the realm of possibility,' Bessent wrote in a post on social media platform X after a brief meeting with Ishiba on Friday.
"I look forward to continuing formal talks in the future,' he added.
The election could change the calculus of negotiations as the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition, with less than a majority in both houses, is now greatly weakened.
The prime minister could step down despite his insistence that he intends to stay on, while the coalition will have to incorporate another party or seek the cooperation of opposition parties on a case-by-case basis to effectively govern.
In his first comments since the Sunday's vote, Ishiba shed no light on the implications of the historic loss on tariff talks, but he remained guardedly upbeat and said that he hopes to speak with Trump about the tariffs.
"I also plan to talk with President Trump and present a visible outcome as early as possible," Ishiba said.
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